Still a Stinger missile

Singapore

Some people are keen on cars, and some are keen on driving. The Kia Stinger is a car for both, although the 3.3-litre GT version is much more for the latter than the former.

Essentially designed and engineered in Germany (where the Hyundai-Kia group has both styling and technical centres), the Stinger is a grand tourer from the old school. It's rakishly handsome, with a low slung stance and missile-like silhouette, yet it's comfortable, well equipped and roomy enough for family duties.

The GT maxes out at a heady 270km/h, which is apt considering it was inspired by the powerful but impossibly glamorous Maserati Ghibli from 1967.

A mid-life update brings a nip-and-tuck for the exterior, executed along if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it lines, so apart from the fact that it now has a light that stretches across its tail, I have absolutely no idea how the Kia looks any different from before.

Inside, the most noteworthy change is a bigger, 10.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, which now has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, only the wireless kind, which is still rare. The Stinger also gains a blind spot monitor and camera system (which is handy because it's not an easy car to see out of) and other driver aids.

But the new stuff is less important than the old stuff, because how it feels behind the wheel is still what makes the Stinger sparkle. The 2.0-litre GT-Line version is as plush inside as this one, with the same lovely handling balance and poise around corners, but the GT's V6 engine is a joy to experience. It's smooth and cultured, and when you unbottle its potential it propels the Stinger with the most satisfying sense of effortlessness.

Switch to Sport mode, and you know you're in for a good time because the driver's seat adjusts its bolsters to hold you tighter. That's just as well, because the Stinger has a wild streak, indulging small tailslides if you provoke them by goosing the accelerator mid-corner.

The long wheelbase means that it tends to drift predictably instead of snapping suddenly, so the Stinger is a car you never have to battle. It feels far more like friend than foe, which is what you want in a car with an engine like Samson.

For all that, the new Stinger GT is probably destined to be a rare sight here, where few can countenance spending nearly a quarter of a million on a car from Korea, when the same money buys any number of German offerings with prestigious badges.

Yet, it's only by the strange logic of the Singapore car buyer that the Stinger GT has more power, more features, more space and more ability to drift than a German rival, but is somehow considered the overpriced option.

If you understand value, however, you'll recognise that the Kia isn't expensive at all, but a bargain.

Kia Stinger GT 3.3L

Engine 3,342cc, V6, twin-turbocharged Power 365hp at 6,000rpm Torque 510Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm Gearbox 8-speed automatic 0-100km/h 4.9 seconds Top speed 270km/h Fuel efficiency 9.6L/100km Agent Cycle & Carriage Kia Price S$241,999 with COE Available Now